Amusement ride



Y April 6, 1937.

J. N. BARTLETT AMUSEMENT RIDE Filed Nov. 26, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 April6, 1937. J. N. BARTLETT AMUSEMENT RIDE Filed Nov. v26, 1934 Sheets-Sheet2 nzfevzov; l', #6:17;

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April 6, 1937. .1. N. BARTLETT AMUSEMENT RIDE Filed NOV. 26, 1954 4Sheets-Sheet 3 April 6, 1937. L N, BARTLETT l 25076,-113

AMUSEMENT RIDE Filed Nov. 2e, 1954 4 sheets-sheet` 4 Patented Apr. 6,1937 PATENT OFFIQE AMUSEMENT RIDE John N. Bartlett,

Tonawanda, N. Y.

Application November 26, 1934, Serial No. 754,803

8 Claims.

This invention relates to an amusement ride or apparatus designed foruse in amusement parks, playgrounds and the liketo simulate the thrillof looping the loop.

It has for its object to provide an amusement apparatus of thischaracter which is so designed and constructed as to enable thepassenger or passengers to readily manipulate it, and which affordsmaximum safety to the passengers.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a looping apparatushaving simple and effective means for arresting its movement after thecompletion of a ride, and to provide means assog ciated with thearresting means for automatical- 1" ly governing the same to control theduration of the ride.

A further object is to provide an amusement ride which is so constructedand balanced as to enable the passengers through their own efforts tooperate the same in a vertical circle to loopthe-loop, and which isstrong and durable in construction and safe and positive in operation.

A still further object is to-provide the apparatus with mechanical meansfor assisting the pas- 3" senger or passengers in effecting the loopingof the apparatus.

Other features of the invention reside in the construction andarrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed outin 30 the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a side elevation of anamusement apparatus embodying my invention. Figure 2 is an end Viewthereof, partly in section. Figure 3. o is an enlarged longitudinalsection of the passenger carriage taken substantially in the plane ofline 3 3, Figure 2. Figure 4 is a cross section taken in the plane ofline d li, Figure 3. Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectiontaken substantially in the plane of line 5 5 Figure 1. Figure 6 is adetailed sectional View of the timing element or air cylinder associatedwith the brake mechanism. Figure 'l is a fragmentary side view A5 of theapparatus showing a modification of the booster mechanism. Figure 8 isan enlarged transverse vertical section taken substantially in the planeof line 8 8, Figure 7. Figure 9 is a cross section taken on line 9 9,Figure 8. Figure 10 is 59 a front elevation of a modified form of theamuseapparatus comprises substantially upright side frames or standardsdisposed in spaced relation and each consisting of an upright centralmember IE) and inclined side members II, longitudinal base members I2,longitudinal tie members I3 parallel with `the base members andconnected to said central and side members in the manner shown in Figure1, and a transverse tie member I 1l connecting the upper ends of thecentral members Iii. Adjacent its opposite ends where the passengers areadmitted to and discharged from the apparatus, there are providedplatforms I5 between the base members I2.

Suspended in the space between these standards for swinging movement ina substantially vertical circular path to simulate looping the loop, isa passenger car or carriage I6 designed to receive one or morepassengers in a standing position, the carriage while revolving about agiven axis being held against turning so that the passengers alwaysassume an upright or standing position during the oscillating andlooping movementof the carriage. This carriage in its preferredconstruction shown in the drawings, is in the form of a substantiallycylindrical cage-like structure made of screening or other foraminousmaterial so that the passengers may look out and also be seen byspectators, and is provided at its iametrically opposite sides withingress and egress openings Il normally closed by vertically swingingdoors I8 hinged at I9 and each having a yielding tie member 20 whichserves to either hold the door in its lowered or closed position, shownby full lines in Figure 3, or in its open or elevated position shown bydotted lines in such ligure. In its bottom the carriage has a platform2l on which the passengers stand during the ride and extendingdiametrically across the carriage adjacent the opposite sides thereofare handle bars 22 which are adapted to be grasped by the passengers.Adjacent the door-openings I'I are transversely-extending safety bars 23which are pivoted at one end of the handle bars 22 and which rest attheir free ends on the companion handle bar in the manner shown inFigure 4. Associated with each safety bar is a latch-bolt 24 guided forsliding movement in a bracket 25 mounted on one of the handle bars 22and adapted at its inner end to releasably engage the correspondingsafety bar 23 to hold it in its safety or horizontal position when thedoor i8 is closed. The door is adapted to abut and engage the outer endof the latch bolt to force it into engagement with the safety bar andhold it there during the timethe door is closeoLa spring V2S applied tothe bolt serving to urge the latter to its released position when thedoor is open. In order to positively hold the door in itsclosedposition, swinging latch hooks 2l may be employed which engagecorresponding studs 28 upon the carriage, springs 2S acting to hold thelatch hooks in latched position. When it is desired to admit passengersto or discharge them from the 5 carriage, the attendant swings the latchhooks to their released position, opens the door I8 and lifts the safetybar 23, which is automatically released when the door is opened.

The carriage l5 is so suspended from the l standards that it has amotion of translation in a substantially circular path, whereby itsplatform 2l remains parallel to itself in all positions of the carriageand the passengers always assume an upright position. As shown in Figlures 1 and 2, the carriage is suspended at its opposite sides from aplurality of revolving arms 30, 3|, 32 which are iulcrumed intermediatetheir ends at suitably spaced points on the standard. In the drawings,these arms are shown 2O fulcrumed at triangularly spaced points 33, 34,35, the pivot spindles 3S and 3d of the arms 3E, 3l being applied to thehorizontal frame members I3 at equidistant points on opposite sides ofthe central upright frame member le and the pivot spindles of the arms32 being mounted on said member l@ above and centrally between thecompanion pivot spindles 33, 35, whereby, when the carriage is in itslowest position to receive and discharge passengers, as seen by dottedlines in Figure l, the several arms are in a pendant parallel positionand equally spaced. At their lower ends, these arms are connected to thecarriage by suitable pivots 55 disposed adjacent the periphery thereofand at triangularlyspaced points thereon, the distances between thearm-pivots and the carriage-pivots of the respective arms being thesame. Fitted about the pivots 36 are bushings 35lz of rubber or likematerial which allow for the proper mechanical 40 movements or" thesuspension arms without strain and aford a smooth turning of thecarriage. The opposite or free ends of the suspension arms are providedwith weights 3l which are preferably of such moment as to not onlycounterbalance the carriage but to slightly overbalance it, and therebyminimize the eiorts required of the passenger or passengers to swing thecarriage through a complete circle or to cause it to loop. As seen inFigure 2, the suspension arms are laterally oiset to permit theirrelative clearance during the rotation of the arms about theirrespective pivots.

Means are provided for arresting the movement of the carriage i6 at itslowest position for the ingress and egress of passengers, and for thispurpose one of the suspension arms, say the arm 3i! is providedconcentrically of its pivotspindle 33 with a brake drum 33 which isbolted or otherwise fixedly secured to the suspension arm to revolvetherewith, Cooperating with this brake drum is a brake band 35 carriedby a vertically-swinging arm 49 pivoted to the adjoining portion of theframe structure and having a spring tl connected thereto for constantlyurging the arm fio in a direction to apply the brake. For swinging thearm to a brake-releasing position, a hand lever 42 is provided which isconnected by a link or links i3 with the free o end of the arm BB.

Associated with the brake mechanism in opposing relation to the spring4l is a time element for automatically effecting the application of thebrakes after a predetermined time, whereby 75 each passenger is assureda ride of a given duration. This time element is preferably in the formof an air cylinder fifi having a leather cup plunger 45 therein whoserod il@ is connected with the brake lever 42 and by the links i3 withthe brake arm 4B, as shown in Figures l and 6. At its discharge end thiscylinder has an adjustable vent or port l1 controlled by a threaded stemor bolt 48 which allows for the gradual escape of the air from thecylinder after the brake lever has been shifted to its releasedposition, and effects, in conjunction with the spring itl, the gradualreturn of the arm ill to its brake-applying position. A pet cock @-9 mayalso be provided on the cylinder to effect an emergency application ofthe brake should the occasion arise.

In some cases the passengers may not have that physical control in theuse of their bodies, as knee-bending and other body effort, to impartthat motion to the carriage to efect its looping. To assist thepassengers of this type, I provide a selectively-controlled power ormechanical booster mechanism which functions to assist the turning ofthe arms 3G, Si and 32 to quickly bring the carriage to the properdegree of swing to loop, and which is preferably controlled by theattendant of the apparatus. As seen in Figure l, this booster mechanismconsists of an electric motor 55 suitably supported at the base of theframe structm'e and having a sprocket 5I connected by a chain 52 to asprocket 53 applied to the brake drum 38. Associated with the sprocket5l, is a suitable clutch 5ft controlled from the operators station oithe machine by a hand lever 55. When the clutch is engaged, motion istransmitted to the sprocket 53 to compel the turning of the arm 3Q aboutits fulcrum 33 and likewise the swinging of the carriage and the turningo1 the companion arms 3l and 32 about their respective fulcrums. Whenthe required momentum has been transmitted to the carriage i5 in thismanner, the operator then disengages the clutch to allow the carriage tomove under its own momentum.

In Figures 7, 8 and 9 I have shown a manuallyoperated mechanism foreffecting a boosting movement to the carriage, the same including a drum56 Xedly secured to one of the suspension arms, say the arm 3l, torevolve therewith about its pivot spindle 35 and a brake shoe 5lcooperating therewith and pivoted at 53 to a crank 59 of an actuatinglever E@ which is ulcrumed at 6| to an arm S2 rotatably mounted on aframefitting member 53 of the companion pivot spindle 34. A spring 5ftconnected to the actuating lever 60 `serves to constantly urge it in adirection to bring the brake shoe 5l out of engagement with the drum 56,the lower end of said lever having a stop lug 65 thereon adapted to abutagainst the opposing side of the arm 52 to limit the movement of thelever to its released position. The numeral 56 indicates a booster leverconnected by a link 5T with the actuating lever Sil, so that when thebooster lever is pulled downwardly it brings the brake shoe 5l inirictional contact with the brake drum and the further movement of thebooster lever turns the brake drum to in turn impart a turning movementto the suspension arm 3l to increase the momentum of the carriage andcause it to loop. When the boosting effort has been transmitted in thismanner, the lever 65 is released and the spring G4 returns it and theassociated parts to their released position. The return of the lever 60and its supporting arm B2 is limited by a stop 68 secured to the framemember I3, as shown in Figure 9. When the arm 62 encounters this stop,it eiects a toggle action and causes the lever 60 to swing about itspivot 6I in a direction to lift the shoe 51 from the drum 56.

In the modication of the ride shown in Figures 10 and 11, the passengercarriage 89 is pivoted substantially centrally thereof, as indicated at10, to the lower end of a rotatable suspension arm 1l fulcrumedintermediate its ends at 12 to the frame structure 13. At its upper endthis arm is counter-weighted preferably by a fluidchamber 14. During theswinging of the suspension arm, the carriage is adapted to have a motionof translation and to this end the pivotshafts 10 and 12 have bevelgears 15 thereon which mesh with pinions 16 applied to the upper andlower ends of a shaft 11 journaled in bearings 18 fixed on the arm 1|,as shown in Figure 1l. A rocking motion is transmitted to the arm froman electric motor 19 or other source of power through the medium offorward and reverse clutch-controlled gears 80 meshing with a pinion 8|fixed on the lower end of an upright shaft 82 suitably journaled on theframe 13. At its upper end this shaft has a pinion 83 thereon meshingwith a gear 84 fixed on the arm-fulcrum shaft 12, which latter is keyedor otherwise secured to the arm 1l. The pivot-shaft 18 of the carriageis keyed thereto so that as the arm 1l is rocked and looped the carriagewill assume a 'motion of translation and take a horizontal position inall positions of the arm. The clutch members associated with the gears88 are indicated at 85 and may be controlled by a hand lever 86.

I claim as my invention:-

1. An amusement apparatus, comprising a frame, suspension arms pivotedintermediate their ends to said frame at substantially triangularlyspaced points, and a passenger carriage pivotally connected at spacedpoints thereon to the companion ends of the arms to revolve bodily aboutthe pivots thereof, the distances between the arm-pivots and thecarriage-pivots of the respective arms being the same, and the opposingfree ends of said arms having weights thereon to at leastcounter-balance the weight of the carriage.

2. An amusement apparatus, comprising a frame, a plurality of swingingarms pivoted intermediate their ends to said frame to swing in asubstantially vertical plane, and a passengercarriage pivotallysuspended at triangularlyspaced points from one end of said arms to havea motion of translation in a substantially circular path during theswinging of the arms, the opposite ends of said arms being weighted tosubstantially counterbalance the carriage.

3. An amusement apparatus, comprising a passenger-carriage, means forpivotally suspending said carriage to have a motion of translation in asubstantially circular path, braking means for arresting the movement ofthe carriage, means for normally actuating the braking means to itsapplied position, and timed brake-delaying means interposed in operativerelation with the brake actuating means to actuate said braking meansafter a predetermined duration of the ride.

4. An amusement apparatus, comprising a frame, a plurality of swingingarms pivoted to said frame to swing in a substantially vertical plane, apassenger-carriage pivotally suspended from said arms to have a motionof translation in a substantially circular path during the swinging ofthe arms, a brake drum applied to one of said arms concentrically of itspivot, a brake band engageable with said drum, lever means for actuatingsaid band including a spring for normally urging said means to abrake-applyingposition, and a time-controlled device including afluidcontaining cylinder and piston interposed in said leverage means inopposing relation to the spring for governing the automatic applicationof the brake band.

5. An amusement apparatus, comprising a pivoted, rotatable suspensionmeans consisting of a plurality of parallel, vertically-swinging arms, apassenger carriage of cage-like form pivoted at its periphery to saidarms for a motion of translation in which the carriage is in ahorizontal position at all times during the movement of said suspensionmeans initiated by the passenger, and means assisting the manual effortsof the passenger for selectively imparting rotary movement to saidsuspension means to effect the looping of the carriage.

6. An amusement apparatus, comprising a pivoted rotatable suspensionmeans consisting of a plurality of parallel, vertically-swinging arms, apassenger carriage of cage-like form pivoted at its periphery to saidarms for a motion of translation in a substantially circular path duringthe movement of said suspension means initiated by the passenger and inwhich the carriage is in a horizontal position at all times, a drivenmember rotatable with the suspension means about its pivot, andselectively-controlled means assisting the manual eiforts of thepassenger and operatively connected to said driven member fortransmitting motion thereto to impart a boosting movement to thesuspension means and its carriage.

7. An amusement apparatus, comprising a pivoted rotatable suspensionmeans, a passenger' carriage mounted thereon for a motion of translationin which the carriage is in a horizontal position at al1 times, themovement of said suspension means being normally initiated by thepassenger, a driven member rotatable with the suspension means about itspivot, a manuallyactuated lever including releasable means for couplingit with said driven member for transmitting motion thereto toimpart aboosting movement to the suspension means and its carriage, and meansfor constantly urging said lever and its coupling means to a releasedposition.

8. An amusement apparatus, comprising a frame, a plurality of swingingarms pivoted intermediate their ends to said frame to swing in asubstantially vertical plane, a passenger-carriage of substantiallycage-like, cylindrical form pivotally suspended at triangularly-spacedpoints from the lower ends of said arms to have a motion of translationin a substantially circular path during the swinging of the arms, saidcarriage being adapted for actuation by the passenger, means applied tothe upper ends of said arms for overbalancing the weight of the carriageand tending to swing it past the vertical, and brake means for arrestingthe movement of the carriage and maintaining it in line with thevertical when loading and unloading passengers.

JOHN N. BARTLETT.

